Our commitment

Tackling Harassment and Sexual Misconduct

We want Queen Mary to be the most inclusive university of its kind, anywhere. If you or someone else has experienced harassment, sexual misconduct, bullying, hate incidents or gender-based violence, support is available, and you can report it to Queen Mary.  

This page sets out our reporting mechanisms, policies, procedures, training and support services to prevent and address harassment and sexual misconduct. This page is the University’s single, comprehensive source of information, published in line with the Office for Students Condition of Registration E6. 

What is Harassment and Sexual Misconduct?

Harassment is defined under the Equality Act (2010) and the Protection from Harassment Act (1997).   

Under the Equality Act (2010), harassment is defined as unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic, which has the purpose or effect of violating a person's dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating, or offensive environment for that person. 

Under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, a person must not pursue a course of conduct (a) which amounts to harassment of another, and (b) which he knows or ought to know amounts to harassment of the other. The person whose course of conduct is in question ought to know that it amounts to or involves harassment of another if a reasonable person in possession of the same information would think the course of conduct amounted to or involved harassment of the other. References to harassing a person include alarming the person or causing the person distress. 

Sexual Misconduct relates to all unwanted conduct of a sexual nature.  This includes, but is not limited to the following, within or outside a sexual or romantic relationship, including where consent to sexual activity has been given then withdrawn, or if consent has been given on previous occasions:  

• sexual intercourse or engaging in a sexual act without consent 
• attempt to engage in sexual intercourse or a sexual act without consent  
• sharing private sexual materials of another person without consent 
• kissing or touching inappropriately without consent 
• inappropriately showing sexual organs to another person; repeatedly contacting or following another person without good reason 
• making unwanted remarks of a sexual nature 

For the avoidance of doubt, in this paragraph, ‘without consent’ includes purported consent obtained by force, intimidation, manipulation or coercion. 

Reporting Harassment and Sexual Misconduct

The University has a reporting platform, Report + Support, which students and staff can use to tell us about bullying, harassment, sexual misconduct and hate crime. You can submit a report anonymously or with your contact details. If you submit with your details, you can request to be referred to support and/or make a complaint for investigation by Queen Mary. 

If students do not wish to use Report + Support they can report a matter of disciplinary misconduct to the Appeals, Complaint and Conduct Office through AskQM. 

Support for Those Affected

For students who experience or witness harassment & sexual misconduct - on or off campus - Queen Mary offers specialist support through our Advice & Counselling Service (ACS) and Sexual Assault & Harassment Advice (SAHA) service.  You can request to be referred to support through Report + Support.

Advice and Counselling service: 

The Advice & Counselling Service offers a range of confidential services for those affected by bullying, harassment, or abuse. We recognise that bullying, harassment, and violence disproportionately impact individuals with protected characteristics. We are committed to providing inclusive, compassionate support that recognises the specific challenges and impacts students may face. 

Sexual Assault and Harassment Advice service: 

The Sexual Assault and Harassment Advice service is a specialist service within Advice & Counselling, offering one-to-one, non-judgemental, and non-directive emotional and practical support. It is available to anyone who has experienced sexual harassment or violence - regardless of when it happened. 

Support can include: 

• Understanding and managing the impact of sexual violence 
• Developing positive coping strategies 
• Rebuilding self-esteem and trust 
• Information on reporting options (within the University and externally), and support through any reporting process. 
• Liaising with academic staff to ensure appropriate support is in place 
• Referrals to other relevant services 

The SAHA team works with students to explore the options available and supports them in finding a path that fits their needs. You will never be pressured to make a report. 

The SAHA service adheres to the same confidentiality policy as the wider Advice & Counselling Service. Please see the below section on “Handling Your Data” to get a better understanding of the boundaries and limitations of this policy. 

Support for those facing allegations: 

Students who have been accused of sexual misconduct or harassment can also access confidential emotional support through the Advice & Counselling Service, as well as independent advice and representation through the Students' Union Academic Advice Service. 

Investigating Harassment and Sexual Misconduct

The following policies outline how we investigate allegations of student harassment and sexual misconduct. These procedures set out how allegations will be investigated fairly, the rights and expectations of all parties involved, as well as timescales for investigations, the applicable outcomes if a concern is upheld and appeal provisions available to reporting and responding parties. 

Reports about the conduct of a student 

The Student Discipline Policy outlines the University’s procedures for responding to reports that a student’s actions fall short of our core values and behavioural expectations. This includes, reports of unwanted and undesirable conduct towards others, physical and/or sexual misconduct, and other behaviours that undermine Queen Mary values.   

All reports about harassment and sexual misconduct against students will be considered under this policy. The policy explains the informal options available to someone who has concerns about the conduct of a student, as well as the formal investigation procedures. The policy sets out what both the reporting and responding parties can expect during the course of an investigation, and the way that the University reaches decisions in each case. Both the reporting student and the responding student will be informed of the decisions reached, and the reasons for this. 

Reports by students about the conduct of a staff member 

When a student makes a report about harassment or sexual misconduct by a staff member and wishes, this is treated as a Formal Complaint under the Student Complaints Policy. If the complaint is upheld, this will be shared with the staff member’s line manager and Employee Relations, who will consider any appropriate action in relation to the staff member. Students will receive an outcome to their Formal Complaint which relates to their student experience and measures taken by the University to support their studies, but may not be provided with details about any HR processes undertaken in relation to the staff member.  

Where action is taken in relation to a staff member following a student complaint, this will follow the Staff Discipline Policy and Procedure  

Reports by staff about the conduct of another staff member 

Reports about the conduct of staff members made by staff members will be investigated and considered in line with the Staff Discipline Policy and Procedure. 

Handling Information

The University is committed to taking all reasonable measures to protect the privacy of anyone who comes forward to share their experience. However, in certain situations, such as when there is a risk to someone's safety, we may need to share information either internally or with external agencies, please read our Safeguarding Policy for more information.

Further information about how we handle confidentiality and information sharing can be found in the Student Discipline Policy, Advice and Counselling’s information on confidentiality , the Report and Support FAQ’s and the Privacy Notice for students.

Handling Information in the Advice and Counselling and Sexual Assault and Harassment Advice (SAHA) Services

Referrals or disclosures made to Advice and Counselling or Sexual Assault and Harassment Advisers (SAHAs) are confidential and will not be shared with any other part of the university without your express permission. If you are considering making a formal report to the University, we will clearly explain what that involves, including who will be informed and how your information will be handled. SAHAs and Advisers take great care to work sensitively and discreetly, doing everything possible to avoid unnecessary or unintended disclosure of your identity as a victim/survivor to anyone who you have not consented to be informed.

Training for Students

All students are required to complete our Consent Matters course, hosted on QMPlus.  An essential part of our commitment to making Queen Mary safe and respectful for all is in helping everyone to have a clear understanding of sexual consent. This short course covers how to recognise and ask for sexual consent, look out for and support others, and where to find support if you need it. 

During induction, all new students will watch a video introducing Report + Support, as the platform for reporting issues and finding support related to Harassment and Sexual Misconduct.  

Throughout the academic year, we offer workshops for students on topics such as consent and active bystander skills, delivered by specialist organisations. You can find out more on our Workshops and Training page. 

Training for Staff

QMUL provides a range of learning and development opportunities for staff, aiming to prevent and address harassment and misconduct, and supporting our ambition to become the most inclusive university of our kind. 

Information on our provision is included below: 

*On occasion, teams within the University commission bespoke training, learning and development relevant to the prevention of harassment and misconduct. The above training reflects our standard offer and does not reflect further ad hoc training. 

Training for Caseworkers and Investigators 

Staff members who have received appropriate specialist training and the required knowledge, skills and experience will be appointed to investigate concerns raised by a student about harassment and/or sexual misconduct, whether this investigation takes place under the Student Discipline Policy, Student Complaints Policy, Staff Disciplinary Policy and Procedure, or Staff Grievance Policy and Procedure. It is a core requirement of the role for staff appointed to these positions that they hold the appropriate level of skill and are committed to continuous professional development. 

The decision-makers set out at each stage of our procedures for handling harassment and sexual misconduct are also provided with training and development, appropriate to their role. For example, annual training provided to members of the Student Disciplinary Committee is co-delivered by our specialist Sexual Assault and Harassment Advisors, and the members of the Appeals, Complaints & Conduct Office who hold expertise in our legislative and regulatory requirements. 

Evaluating our Training 

QMUL continues to evaluate and monitor our training provision through a number of data sources, including but not limited to: 

• Student Sexual Misconduct Survey (biannual), 
• Staff Survey (annual), 
• Staff Affinity Networks, 
• QMSU representation in governance, 
• Provision evaluation. 

Personal Relationships between Staff and Students

Queen Mary University of London's Staff Student Policy is changing.

On the 1st August 2025 a new Staff Student Relationship Policy will come into operation; all staff are subject to this policy, and should understand their responsibilities.

This policy review adopts a new position on staff student relationships and takes proportionate steps to prevent harassment and misconduct - strictly prohibiting certain relationships - further protecting our students, staff and encouraging the development of professional relationships and a culture founded on mutual trust and respect.

Staff with academic and pastoral responsibilities with students, senior staff with responsibility for institutional strategy, professional services staff providing a service directly to students, and security staff must not engage in an intimate personal relationship with a student to whom they are providing a service (as detailed in the policy).

To support our organisation and community to adopt this new policy position, the Senior Executive Team have agreed a transition period (up to 1st of October) whereby members of staff can sensitively disclose an existing Staff Student Relationship that would otherwise be prohibited to their managers. Please refer to 'excluded relationships under 5.5 for more information'. Following this period, the policy will be in full effect and failure to disclose a prohibited relationship will result in an investigation under the Discipline at Work Policy and Procedure.

Taking Steps to Protect Students

We take a number of steps to help prevent and address harassment and sexual misconduct at Queen Mary: 

Annual data and local engagement: We analyse and publish insights reports each year on the use of the Report + Support portal and participate in the Tower Hamlets ‘No Place for Hate’ Forum. 

Student representation: We regularly consult with students on our work, including the development of training and induction materials. If you’d like to get involved, please email reportandsupport@qmul.ac.uk. 

We work closely with Queen Mary Students’ Union, and students are represented on our Preventing Harassment and Sexual Misconduct working group, where key initiatives are discussed and approved. 

Training and workshops: All students are required to complete the Consent Matters training module, and we offer a range of in-person workshops throughout the year. 

Campaigns and events: We run regular campaigns and events to raise awareness of harassment, sexual misconduct, and the support available. Visit our Campaigns page and follow @qmstudentlife on Instagram to stay up to date. 

Non-Disclosure Agreements

In June 2023 QMUL signed Can’t Buy My Silence’s Universities Pledge. This means that we will not use non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in relation to complaints of sexual harassment, abuse, misconduct, or other forms of harassment and bullying. In addition, since September 2024 the Office for Students has prohibited universities from using NDAs in relation to student allegations of harassment and sexual misconduct. 

Wherever there are provisions in our policies or procedures that ask parties to respect confidentiality, we aim to make clear that this is intended only to respect the privacy and dignity of those involved and is not intended to constitute a non-disclosure agreement or have the same effect as requiring non-disclosure of their personal experience. Procedural fairness often means that both reporting and responding parties in a complaint/disciplinary procedure are entrusted with sensitive and personal information about each other. We ask members of our community to show respect for this information and each other, while not inhibiting their right to share their own stories and experiences in their own words. 

How We Support Free Expression While Tackling Harassment 

Freedom of speech and academic freedom are core values at Queen Mary. As outlined in our Code of Practice on Free Speech, we are committed to enabling free and open discussion, even where views may be unpopular or controversial, provided they remain within the law. 

This means: 

• All staff, students, and visiting speakers have the right to express lawful views without fear of censorship or repercussion. 
• Events and discussions – whether in teaching, research, or student-led activity – are protected under principles of academic freedom and freedom of expression. 
• We take steps to ensure debates can happen safely, while balancing our responsibilities under equality, harassment and public order legislation. 

Our approach recognises the importance of both supporting freedom of speech and academic freedom and taking robust steps to prevent and respond to harassment, as required under regulatory Condition E6. While these responsibilities can sometimes raise complex questions, they are not mutually exclusive - both are essential to fostering a respectful and inclusive academic community. 

For full details, please read our Code of Practice on Free Speech.